Scars Left By Time
by Seventh Sage
Summary: In Ancient Egypt, Pegasus sends Yami a slave that has been trained as an assassin. In modern Japan, Yami's past haunts him, for he had betrayed the one he loves most. Full Summary Inside. AU, Yaoi YxY, SxJ, BxR. On Hiatus


Ari Heehee, ANOTHER STORY! 

Yugi: -_-;

Ari: Hey, now, I started this one quite a while ago. And I was, uh, kinda stuck on my other stories… *blush* Oh, um, the full summary thing that I wrote up…

Summary: Yami begins to see his memories and recoils in horror. In Ancient Egypt, Pegasus, jealous that the young Pharaoh received the Puzzle, most powerful of the Millennium Items, sends Yami a "give": a broken slave that he had trained as an assassin. But what happens when he assassin falls in love with his target? In modern Japan, Yami's past haunts him, for he had committed the ultimate betrayal, unwittingly and unintentionally, to the one he loves most. A/U Yaoi Yami (Yugi) x Yugi, Seto x Jou, (Yami) Bakura x Ryou (Bakura)… Possibly Ishtar (Yami Malik) x Malik if I can find out enough about them before I get to that part. ^_^

Yugi: *sulks* Why don't I get to be the star again?

Ari: -_-; Well, the YxY _is_ the _main_ pairing…

Yugi: Alright… If you say so…

Ari: I do say so! *thinks* Oh Daaaaaaaarkie-chan! Disclaaaaaaaaaaaaaimer!

Dark: Ari doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters. Oooohhh, I don't have to say a Yaoi warning since it's in the mini-summary… Ah well. Just to say this one more time, THERE WILL BE YAOI.

Ari: *hugs* Thankies! Now… Just a few more things… This story is depressing. It might make you upset. Don't blame me if you do get upset, I DID put a nice genre warning, and here's another warning. Of course, I personally don't think it's THAT depressing…

Sage: *rolls eyes* Your definition of not depressing makes the rest of us cry.

Ari: It does not. Anyway… Just to clear everything up… Yami is Yami Yugi. Kaiba is Seto (for the most part). Yami Bakura is Bakura. Little Bakura is Ryou. Malik is Malik, and Yami Malik is Ishtar. And I will be using the Japanese names of people, except those people whose Japanese names I don't remember. ^_^; Oh, and another thing… I will occasionally be using the word "Sennen". It basically means Millennium. So, Yami and Bakura are often referred to as Sennen Spirits, and the Millennium Items as Sennen Items. That's all, I think…

Yugi: *pokes the people* Um, Ari-chan? I think they're asleep.

Ari: ^^' Ummmmm… Ah well. They'll wake up at the first scream. ^_^

Yugi: EH?! SCREAM?!

Ari: *giggles* I was kidding. There're no screams in this one.

Yugi: Whew…

Ari: I think. Oh, one more thing… There will eventually be lemons, if I can figure out how to write one. But, they will be uploaded elsewhere, so don't report me… *sighs* Oh, and I don't like flames. I've gotten a total of ONE flame in my life. I would appreciate if I don't get any more. Flames will most likely be deleted. They'll also be used to roast Arkana before they're deleted. (Eh-heh, number one on my "hated characters" list is Arkana…) They will also be used by Yugi for hours of enjoyment, although I've no idea what he intends to use them for. (Number one on my "favorite characters" list is Yugi…) He just kinda smiled innocently, and… O_O I trusted his innocent smile?!

Yugi: *smiles innocently* Of course. Now, on to the fic!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Prologue 

         _Visions of the Past_

_~~* Memories flowing down the stream… A river of my dreams… *~~_

  "How dare you tell me that you still don't remember what happened?!" Bakura demanded angrily. "The da** past is fu**ing repeating itself, and you tell me that you still don't remember?! If you don't do something about it, _my_ hikari's going to get caught in it!"

   "I have no idea what you're talking about, Tomb Robber," Yami replied calmly. "I have no memories, and I don't see anything in which little Ryou could get caught. And besides, being as cold as you are, why would care what happens to Ryou?"

   "Da** you, Pharaoh!" Bakura grabbed the ruby-eyed, tricolor-haired spirit and slammed him against the brick wall of their hikaris' school. Yami felt the air being knocked out of him, but he refused to show his discomfort.

   "It is not my fault I cannot remember," Yami said off-handedly. "Do you think I have not tried/ I want to know…"

   The silver-haired sennen spirit's fist flew at him, but the puzzle spirit caught it and squeezed. The ring spirit stumbled back, feeling his bones crunch. He clutched his bleeding hand and glared at the once-Pharaoh. "If what happened to Ryou last time happens again…!!"

   Yami rolled his eyes. "Your threats are empty, Tomb Robber. You can do nothing to me, and I cannot remember my past."

   "You have not tried hard enough," Bakura snarled. "If you truly wanted to know, then you could have remembered. And you need to remember, idiot Pharaoh. You were the reason it happened last time! You and your da** pride and fu**ing jealousy!"

   "Go away before I mind crush you," Yami muttered dangerously, and pushed the silver-haired one away. However, Bakura grabbed his arm, eyes glinting angrily.

   "If Ryou gets hurt again because of you, Pharaoh," Bakura started warningly.

   "The only hurting him right now is _you_, Tomb Robber," Yami stated clearly, coldly. He turned away, not looking back.

   "He is weak," Bakura whispered, almost to reassure himself. "He is weak! That was why he died. I will make him strong! Strong!"

   At the front of the school, Yami leaned against the wall and watched the steady stream of students leave. Through narrowed eyes, he tried to find a certain one – his own special light. A mane of white hair caught his attention, and he turned his head towards the chocolate-eyed boy, trudging slowly and reluctantly. _Poor Ryou,_ Yami thought, _having to put up with his yami's beatings. Why does he stay, I wonder…_

   However, his eyes were soon riveted to the small group exiting the school, and a smile played on his lips. There… there was his little amethyst-eyed Aibou, his chosen protégé. Yugi, in all cheerfulness, skipped along between the golden-haired Jonouchi and the brown-haired Honda. The brunette girl Anzu was not present; her family had moved away a few days ago. For that, Yami was almost… thankful. Why? It was another unanswered question.

   Sparkling amethyst eyes wandered from side to side, searching for the one person he cared about more than life itself, though he would never admit it to him. The youth gave a cry of delight as the ruby eyes of his dreams met his, and he sprang towards the puzzle spirit.

   Expecting his Aibou's playful antics, the Pharaoh caught Yugi as he flung himself at his guardian before both of them were knocked off their feet. He held the boy tightly, longingly, the embrace broken only when he felt pain as the Millennium Puzzle dug into his chest. Yugi looked up and gave him a radiant smile, so warm as to melt the eternal ice of the Antarctic.

   "Thanks for waiting for me!" Yugi declared perkily, jumping up and down, and once again pouncing at his dark half. He longed for the contact, needed the warmth, even before realizing his feelings. Yami always comforted him. At times, he was the only one that _could_ comfort him.

   "It was no problem, Aibou," the spirit murmured, stroking his hikari's hair. Silky, shiny, beautiful… He wondered when, if ever, he could tell the sweet angel what he felt. His heart was bursting with that feeling.

   "Hey, Yami," Jou greeted. He turned back to his friend. "Yug, ya want us ta come wit ya?"

   Yugi shook his head. "Thanks, Jou, but that's alright. I know you want to visit your sister. You worked so hard to earn the money for the operation to restore her eyesight. You deserve to see each other again."

   The golden-haired boy smiled gratefully, glad that he had such an understanding friend. And to think, a few months ago, he was one of the people making fun of the innocent boy just because of his short height. Now, he could not imagine why anyone would hurt the sweet child. And indeed, none did, but maybe that was due to Yami's presence more than anything else. The spirit would allow none, friend or foe, to lift a hand to his protégé in hostility.

   Yugi watched as his friends headed in different directions, Jou and Honda towards the hospital, Ryou meeting up with Bakura and going home. He smiled at his own yami and started tugging him in the direction of the Kame Game Shop. (A/N: Kame means turtle, and it's the Japanese name of the game shop.) This was a special day, for better or for worse. His grandfather was going on a dig in Egypt again, despite Yugi's protests about his age, and he refused to take his grandson with him. Yugi would be alone with no one but Yami for company for more than two months. He grinned He certainly did not mind.

   "So, how many parties should we throw after your Grandpa leaves?" Yami asked jokingly, wriggling his eyebrows comically. "And how much money could we spend on his credit card before he realizes? Hmmm, Aibou? I would rather like to buy set of Exodia cards to replace the ones that Weevil threw away. And maybe a new computer… What do you think, Aibou?"

   The boy giggled, and soon, he was too busy laughing to answer. He knew, as did Yami, what would happen if they spent his grandfather's money like that. The old Sugoroku Mutou might be lenient most of the time, but there were things that you just did _not_ touch if you valued hour life, his credit card being one of them. "Oh, Yami-Chan, you know we can't."

   "I know…" The spirit stared into the distance wistfully. "Too bad, ne? Your Grandpa may pretend to be poor, but I bet he has tons of money saved up. I mean, look at that deck! It's filled with some of the world's rarest cards." He sighed sadly. "I wonder if we could find the wealth I left when I died… Bakura keeps insisting that I was the Pharaoh."

   Yugi hugged his dark half. "I bet you were the best Pharaoh in the world! You're certainly the best yami in the universe!"

   The spirit smiled. "Oh, indeed? And how many yamis have you had, to be able to make this comparison?"

   Pale cheeks blushed a soft pink. "Including you? One. But, but Ryou isn't particularly happy with his yami, is he? But I'm glad I could be with you. You were always there for me, you cared about me, you always tried to make me happy."

   Yami rubbed his precious Aibou's back. Of course he tried his best to take care of Yugi. The boy had no idea how important he was to the lonely spirit, in this life and in their past life too, Yami suspected. "Aibou, you're embarrassing me. It's not so seemly for a yami, especially one that had been Pharaoh, to blush. Now, let's go home and see your Grandpa off."

   "Hai!" Yugi giggled, and the two raced towards the game shop.

   That night, a little boy shivered under his thin blankets. Light shone in from the windows, illuminating his bangs of spun silk, hair of rich threads of obsidian and ruby, pale rose-petal lips, and an angelic face covered in delicate, glowing white skin. A tanned hand reached out to caress his cheek, the owner of that hand shivering pleasantly as his fingers brushed the long, dark lashes that obscured the boy's brilliant amethyst eyes. He sighed, bringing his face closer, a reflection of that innocent face, but laden with pain, sorrow, and knowledge better off unknown. Pride flashed in his eyes, the blood-red eyes that softened as he beheld his hikari.

   Unknowingly, almost subconsciously, Yugi leaned his head against Yami's hand, pushing, nuzzling, trying to gain more contact. His large eyes fluttered open and he stared, momentarily uncomprehending. Then… "Yami-Chan? Yami-Chan, 'm cold. Sleep with me…"

   Too surprised to think, the Sennen Spirit complied, removing his leather shirt and climbing into the bed to press Yugi against his bare chest. Was it right? He did not know, did not care. It was his most nurtured desire come true. He wrapped his arms around the tiny, fragile body, taking in his heat, his scent, his everything, if this never happened again. As Yugi drifted into dreams, Yami pondered the past. Had he loved Yugi? Had Yugi possibly loved him? He wanted to remember. Now, he had a purpose in remembering. He did not care about the wealth, the glory, the life. He wanted to remember Yugi, for he was sure the boy was there.

   "Alright, Tomb Robber," he whispered, "let's see if this works. Now, I want to remember. I _need_ to know."

   Following Yugi into the land of dreams, Yami saw visions of the past…

-~*~-Ancient Egypt-~*~- 

   The young Pharaoh bowed down, along with his four companions, lowering their heads respectfully to the man that stood at the white marble alter. They were nervous, anticipating. For ten years, they have trained under the man. Now, they have taken their tests. It was time to see how they did. Now was the moment to see whether they would be rewarded beyond imagination, or if ten years of bitter work went down the drain. They could only wait.

   "Isis!" the man announced, taking out a finely-crafted golden necklace, the symbol of power as its charm. "I present to you the Sennen Tauk. (A/N: Millennium Necklace.) With it, view the future and the past to save the people."

   A black-haired woman wearing a white dress walked to the alter, bowing again as she arrived. The man placed the necklace into her hands and a bright light flashed, binding her to its magic. Her test passed, she returned to the four waiting, sitting down.

   "Malik!" Once again, a golden object printed with the Eye of Ra (A/N: Is it the eye of Ra or Horus? I still don't know…) was taken out. This time, it was a long, thin rod. "I present to you the Sennen Rod. With it, control the minds of the evil ones and turn them to goodness."

   The sand-colored-haired boy stepped up, flicking back his violet cape as he bowed and received the rod, his light lavender eyes glimmering. As he was bound to the dangerous item, he sat back amongst his fellow students.

   "Bakura!" This time, it was a large ring, a triangle with the Eye upon is center. Five spikes dangled from its sides. "I present to you the Sennen Ring. With it, bring forth the creatures of Shadow to care for the people."

   The one on the Pharaoh's left with the wild, snowy hair stood up, grinning ferally. The others wondered, for a moment, if it was safe to give him one of the more powerful Items. After the light flashed and dimmed, he sat down happily.

   "Pegasus!" This item was small, a little bigger than a marble. "I present to you the Sennen Eye. With it, see into the minds of people and entrap those not worthy into the Shadow Realm."

   A low laugh was heard as the man on the other side of the Pharaoh stood to claim his prize. His hair, also white, was neat, and a sadistic smirk played at his lips. It was no surprise. He was the oldest one of them all, and now, he had the second most powerful Sennen Item. The Sennen Eye bound itself to him, replacing his left eye. He sat, smiling coldly at the Pharaoh, taunting.

   Now, only one remained kneeling, his head bowed. The Pharaoh. He frowned, almost fearing, for once in his life. The Items were given in order of power. Pegasus had the second most powerful. The Pharaoh had failed, then. He would get nothing. He could not hope to win the ultimate prize.

   "Yami!"

   The Pharaoh looked up at the call of his name, confused. Their master held a box, a hand's width tall and a length of about double that. Elegant golden carvings adorned it, catching and reflecting the light. Words were etched on one side.

   "_The one who solves this puzzle shall inherit the Shadow Games. He shall become the guardian of right and pass judgment on evil._"

   (A/N: That was basically a re-phrasing of what it said in the first English Shonen Jump magazine.)

   "Is this…" He could not believe his eyes.

   "Yes," the master murmured. "I give to you the Sennen Puzzle, greatest of the Sennen Items. I do not know its power, for none had ever solved it before. As the King of Games, you might be able to. You are the only that I dare trust with this power." Before the five's amazed eyes, the master knelt before him. "Rule our world justly, my Pharaoh. May the creatures of shadow and Light obey you."

   The Pharaoh nodded calmly. He had passed. Once again, he was the ruler of Egypt, and the master a mere sorcerer. He had passed! He had the Sennen Puzzle! "Thank you, Master Shadi." His ruby eyes softened. "May you help me to bring peace to my land with the Sennen Ankh (key) and Scale, that can read mind, soul, and heart."

   Now that the strict ritual was over, the five, companions for ten years, got up to talk. Isis congratulated Yami, Malik and Bakura were indifferent, but Pegasus glared at him in jealousy, his smugness at obtaining the Eye gone.

   "You will pay, Pharaoh. You will pay."

_-~*Modern Japan*~-_

   Ruby eyes flew open to stare into darkness. It was still nighttime, safe in the apartment above the Kame Game Shop. Yami let out a breath, his heart pounding, and felt something stir in his arms. Yugi. His Aibou. The Millennium Puzzle rested safely on the nearby dresser, and it glowed faintly at Yami's command. He sighed in relief. All was well. (A/N: Just a note… Sennen means Millennium. I'll call the item Sennen in the past and Millennium in the present, k?)

   "Mmmmm, Yami-Chan…" Yugi murmured sleepily, shifting his weight to better mold himself against his dark half. "Go back to sleep…"

   _Yes, sleep…_ Yami thought, resting his chin on top of his hikari's head. _To you… in my memories… Yugi! I want to see Yugi!_

_-~*Ancient Egypt*~-_

   A tri-colored head nodded boredly as another peasant presented his problems. The owner of that head yawned, though covering it up well. Being a Pharaoh was certainly no fun. He wondered when he could sneak out of the palace again.

   "Pharaoh!" It was the High Priest, Seto. "Pharaoh, a man requests audience. Should I allow him to enter?"

   Yami blinked. "Of course. Why not? Although I would prefer if these people could solve their problems on their own…"

   Seto hesitated, azure eyes unsure. "Pharaoh, it is someone that you know. _A golden-eyed man._"

   The Pharaoh sucked in a sharp breath. Seto meant the Sennen Eye. Pegasus. "What does he want?" He tried to keep calm, his hands going subconsciously to his chest to clutch the now-completed Sennen Puzzle, hanging from a leather thong. "Have you left anyone to guard him? You know how dangerous he could be."

   The High Priest nodded. "Of course, Pharaoh. He is surrounded by a band of guard, along with Ryou. I know that they will not be able to contain him if he tries to come in, but I hope he will not try anything."

   "Ah, Yami!"

   The Pharaoh turned and froze. There was Pegasus, striding through the doors of _his_ throne room. Yami growled, and dark energy started gathering around his hands. However, the tall, silver-haired man did not seem fazed.

   "How did you get in?!" Yami demanded angrily. "What did you do to Ryou?! If you hurt one of my friends, I swear..!!"

   Pegasus stared in mock hurt. "Me? Hurt little Ryou? I wouldn't dream of doing such a horrible thing. Don't be so mean, dear Yami, I've come to give you a nice little present which I'm sure you'll… enjoy. And don't worry, your little friends are fine. They're just knocked out."

   "A present?" The Pharaoh did not believe that Pegasus's intentions were good, but he was intrigued. What did the owner of the Sennen Eye have to offer that he would like? He did not like the way the man said "enjoy". He did not trust Pegasus. "What kind of present?"

   Pegasus smirked. "A very beautiful present named Yugi."

   "Game?" Yami was confused. "You bring a game?" (A/N: Most of you should know, Yugi – or Yuugi, really – means game.)

   The smirk turned into laughter, and Pegasus clapped his hands twice. Two slaves rushed in, dragging what looked like a child between them. The dumped him in front of the Pharaoh and forced him onto his knees, then left silently. The boy kept his head down.

   "This," Pegasus introduced, "is Yugi. And Yugi, you worthless little slave, this is Yami, your master from now on." He turned back to the Pharaoh. "He is quite a nice slave. I advise you to keep him in your bed. I assure that you would find him quite… enjoyable."

   Yami blinked. What was the man trying to do? He was _not_ planning to have sex with a little male slave, much less one that _Pegasus_ gave him. He was sure the boy was absolutely gorgeous, and so avoided looking at him. Instead, he kept is suspicious gaze on Pegasus. "How old is he? And why have you suddenly decided to be so 'nice'?"

   The man chuckled. "Do you feel uncomfortable having fun with children?" Don't' worry, he's 16." He ignored the second question.

   The Pharaoh sighed impatiently. "What do you hope to gain by giving him to me? I do not accept bribes."

   Pegasus smirked once again and turned, not answering. "Farewell, _Pharaoh_. Have… fun."

   Yami growled angrily at the man's retreating figure and allowed his gaze to stray to the boy that was still kneeling on the floor before him. It was a fatal mistake. As he looked over the boy's features, his breath caught in his throat and his heart seemed to stop. The boy had bangs of purest gold, the silky strands of hair fluttering slightly in the almost-nonexistent breeze. The rest of his spiky hair was jet black, topped by a rich garnet color, more red than Yami's eyes. His skin, by contrast, was impossibly pale, bringing out his crimson lips, blushing cheeks, and amethyst eyes. Those eyes were simply beautiful, large and sparkly, shining with an innocence never before thought possible in humans. His simple white tunic served only to magnify his beauty.

   "Your name is Yugi?" Yami murmured softly. "Why did you belong to a disgusting brute like Pegasus? And by your looks and manners, you _must_ be noble-born."

   "H-hai, Great Pharaoh, I am Yugi," the boy stammered. How was the Pharaoh able to tell his birthright just by looking at him? He was deathly afraid. Terrified. Pegasus had done horrible things to him, and he was only a minor lord. What would their _ruler_ do? He shuddered, remembering the violating touches, the shouts, the pain. Always the pain. Yet, sometimes, he was glad of the agonizing pain, because it made him forget why he hurt. Because it made him forget why there were pools of bright scarlet and sickening white around his legs… He had no doubt that the Pharaoh would be the same, if not worse.

   "Where did you come from?" Yami asked gently. Why was the boy so scared? What had Pegasus done?! The ideas were enough to make him vomit. "You were definitely not born into slavery. Why are you one now? Please tell me."

   Yugi looked up, suppressing a gasp. The Pharaoh looked just like him! What confused him more was the Pharaoh's manner. He did not seem haughty or cruel like Pegasus had said. In fact, he looked kind, gentle, just. But Yugi knew that looks could be deceiving, and when trust was betrayed, it hurt all the more. After all, that was what he was here to do.

   "Answer the Pharaoh!" the High Priest commanded. "He might be patient, but we are not."

   "Gomen, Great Pharaoh," Yugi murmured demurely. "I was indeed born into a high-class family, whose name I am now forbidden to speak. A few years ago, Pegasus's men found me and took me back with them. That… _creature_… kept me by his side ever since. I do not know what came to my grandpa. My parents, I know are dead. I have been Pegasus's… pleasure slave… ever since." Tears ran down his cheeks at the reminder, not only of the pain, but of the humiliation and violation.

   "Shhhhhh, don't cry," Yami comforted. "I'll make sure you don't go back to him again. You are too sweet, too innocent for that. But I wonder, why would he give such a beauty to me? Does he expect to bribe me in this manner? Is he trying to gain my Sennen Puzzle by planting someone in my bed?" He would not mind taking the boy to his bed. In fact, he longed tot ouch that smooth body and taste that sweet little mouth. It _was_ his slave, after all. Why should he not? But he did not want to turn into the same thing as Pegasus.

   Yugi shook his head, though he refused to speak more on this matter. Though he hated the man, his loyalty was still to Pegasus. The owner of the Sennen Eye threatened him with pain, with things much worse than pain. When he heard that he was to be given to the Pharaoh, he had almost considered working with his new master to destroy his old. But what was the point? One slave owner was the same as another. He might as well get rid of the most powerful. No, he could say no more. He could not tell the Pharaoh that he was here to break and destroy him, the way he was broken by Pegasus. Behind those innocent eyes hid coldness born of soul-shattering torture, of despair so deep that hope was nothing but a distant memory.

   At that moment, the doors burst open, and in came the white-haired Ryou, panting heavily. His sweet visage was angry, and the chocolate-brown eyes glared. Before Yami, he knelt, hanging his head in shame, the long, feathery white hair spilling over his shoulders.

   "My Pharaoh, I have failed. I allowed Pegasus to come through. I tried to stop him, but I was too weak. I am sorry…"

   Yami sighed. He hated public audiences. Now, he would have to formally pardon Ryou. "You are forgiven, Mage. He has not hurt me, and all is fine. Now… I would like to have a look at my new present. The High Priest and the Mage shall finish the audiences today."

   As he left, Seto and Ryou made faces at him – out of the people's sight, of course – and he smirked, beckoning for Yugi to follow. Out of his people's earshot, he burst out laughing.

   Yugi regarded his new master curiously. He was certainly not as bad as Pegasus had said, but was his kindness only an act? He knew that if Pegasus's guards were to fail to stop Yami, they would be executed. After torture, that is, and most likely rape. And the way the Pharaoh acted… It was as a mischievous friend, not as a cruel dictator.

   They stopped in front of a set of doors.

   "This is my room," Yami explained. "You will be sleeping in the room next to mine. Please do not wander around without Seto, Ryou, Jou, Honda, or myself. I will introduce them to you later. Anyway, not all of my guards are trustworthy, and some might take advantage of an innocent little beauty like you. I promise you, I will not let anyone touch you that way again without your permission. Whoever does will have to answer to me." For a second, the Eye of Ra glowed on his forehead.

   Yugi nodded mutely. In less than five minutes, the Pharaoh had turned his life upside-down, and not in a bad way either. Expecting cruelty, he experienced friendship. Expecting pain, he received protection. Though much less than willing to trust anyone, Yugi must admit that this was the happiest he had felt in more than five years.

   "Th-thank you, Great Pharaoh…"

   Cold ruby eyes softened in a smile. "There is no need to call me that, little one. When we are amongst friends, you may call me 'Yami'. The formality is saved only for times when the general public is concerned."

   "Hai, and thank you, Gr – er – Yami-sama," Yugi declared.

   Yami laughed in delight and reached down to ruffle the boy's hair. "Just Yami would do, little one. Anyway… I will allow you to rest a while and get acquainted with your room. A servant will get a bath ready for you. Feel free to use it and to wear the spare clothes in the room, thought they will be a bit large for you. I will come for you in a few hours to bring you to the tailor and to dinner. I suggest that you get some sleep. Tonight will be a long night."

   Yugi paled. "Tonight? Wh-what do you mean?" Night… sleep… sleep was bad. Sleep was painful.

   The Pharaoh noted the terrified expression on the boy's face. "You misunderstood me, little one. It is the first day of summer, and there will be a festival tonight. I am not going to use you the way that Pegasus did." _Even though you are gorgeous…_

   Nodding in nervous gratitude, Yugi locked himself up in his room and collapsed onto the bed, sobbing in frustration. Why was he Pharaoh so incredibly _nice_? It just made his job harder. He thought about Pegasus's instructions to him. He was to gain the Pharaoh's trust and get close to him – meaning, in his bed – and then kill him, slowly and painfully, letting him feel the betrayal.

   "But he was so kind," Yugi wailed softly. "I don't want to hurt him, I…" He knew it was useless. What Pegasus wanted, Pegasus got. He was sure the cruel man would be keeping tabs on his progress with the Sennen Eye.

   Soon, a servant came with hot water for his bath. Yugi thanked him, and pulled off his white tunic once he was alone. Though the fabric was snowy and clean, Yugi felt dirty, dead. He climbed into the bath, feeling the grime of Pegasus's hands washing away. Here, he was not treated as a slave. Here, he was not sought out by a lustful dictator. Here, his body was not going to be used by men that wanted him for his beauty. For the first time in so many years, he felt a spark of hope. But that hope was soon destroyed. He would have to kill Yami, and end this life. He wondered if he could fight against Pegasus. But no… Yami could do nothing when the man came.

   "Yami…" Yugi lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Yami, please save me…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ari: Alrighty! That took quite a while to type. Especially since I was trying to watch Yu-Gi-Oh at the same time. But here it is…

Yugi: I'm… I'm huuuuuuuurt… .

Ari: Um, well, it was supposed to be depressing.… And things are always depressing when you're hurt, 'cause you're so sweet and innocent and beautiful that I can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt you.

Yugi: *blinks*

Ari: *shrugs* I still don't know WHY people hurt you… Just that some sick people do.

Yugi: Riiiiiiiiight…

Ari: Anyway! I have one request! In addition to your beautiful little (or big) review, can you do me one favor? I pretty much have a bad writer's block, but I'm determined to work on them. So, I need you people to vote which one I should work on for now. So, it's either this one, The Amaranth, or What is Gentleness. And, um, yes, I have another story to post soon, eventually… Gotta finish part 2 of it… ^_^ Anyway!

Yugi: *stares at readers with chibi eyes* Pwease Wead and Wewiew! And pwease wote!


End file.
